2 Peter 1:6, “And in your
knowledge, self-control…”
I was ready to move on to the
next Christian quality that is expected to grow within our soul when I realized
that my explanation of self-control in the previous post was grossly over
summarized. In essence I argued that self-control is the act of obeying spirit
over flesh. This remains true, but what needs the expanding are the examples.
Self-control is more than sin avoidance.
Self-control comes in a
multitude of forms. I am forty-seven years old and God is still; and more than
ever, demanding of me financial self-control in a society that creates every
opportunity to not have self-control. When is the last time you went to any
kind of retail store where they didn’t offer you a in store credit card?
For some reason there is a
group of Christians out there who believe that they (me) can go an borrow all
they want, providing temporary pleasure or convenience, and God will bless them
later and pay the debt.
If that sounds insane it is,
but it is something I believed for the longest time under the guise of the prosperity message. I believed that loans in
all there forms were there by God to enable me to be blessed or meet an
immediate need. Wrong!!!! Just this morning as I was conversing with God in my
prayers I heard in my spirit, “I have NEVER told you to borrow money.” And I
replied, what about my mortgage? To that I heard, “I have NEVER told you to
borrow money.” In fact scripture says the same thing. Proverbs 22:7, “… the
borrower becomes the lender’s slave.” And as I think about the choices I have
made over the years to spend windfall on new things rather than paying off old,
to appease my pleasures and lusts instead of savings are all reason enough I
have a mortgage, a car note, credit card payments and more. In the past I have
not exercised self-control and today I am a slave, being slowly freed from the
lender.
Do you realize that the
average American spend more than half their income paying debts? This is insanity
and a prime example of the need for self-control.
But what is at the root? Is
it the availability? Is it societal pressure? Where is the defect, why do we as
a society borrower to have extra today?
In so many ways purchasing is
emotional. For some buying things strokes their ego in that they think someone
cares, or it make them “look” better. Others get an endorphin rush from the
purchase. For those who need a purchase to release the endorphins, may I recommend
Prozac. We must exercise self-control over our emotions. Most emotions are
contained in the flesh and therefore must be controlled. Think about it.
The “emotions” of
the Spirit are peace, patience, understanding, joy, compassion, mercy, and more
I am sure. The emotions of the flesh are pitty instead of mercy, euphoria
instead of joy, arrogance and self-reliance instead of peace.
This is not to say that obedience
to God is not followed by some wonderful emotions. Nor is this to say that
obedience to God can’t be inspired by a surge in faith, but let’s be clear.
Emotions need to follow, not lead. We are to be lead by the Holy Spirit. And as
a result emotions need a degree of self-control applied to them.
Lastly look at the life of
Christ. He was never lead my emotion and even though He loved Lazarus He
waiting 3 days before going to him when he became sick and died. Christ never
borrowed a dime. Penniless He and his disciples did not negotiate to pay later the
toll tax to enter a city. No, on the contrary God provided IN ADVANCE the gold
coin from a fish’s mouth.
Lately I have had the
occasional windfall. Each time I am presented with the choice. Do I go and get
something I have been wanting, or in my mind need; or do I pay an existing
debt. Each and every time this has been a development of my self-control.
I will close with this.
Matthew 25:29, “For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have
an abundance; but from the one who does not have (who squandered, wasted,
borrowered), even what he does have (the car on a note, the junk on a cr card)
shall be taken away.
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